Hold-down device for frameless window screen construction



June 19, 1956 A. LANG 2,751,001

HOLD-DOWN DEVICE FOR FRAMELESS WINDOW SCREEN CONSTRUCTION Filed Feb. 5, 1955 fi. 5: INVENTOR.

BY 01.5527 mm;

AVTTOPNZUS United States Patent HOLD-DOWN DEVICE FOR FRAMELESS WINDOW SCREEN CONSTRUCTION Albert Lang, Oakland, Calif.

Application February 3, 1953, Serial No. 334,932

3 Claims. (Cl. 160-328) This invention relates to a frameless window screen construction and particularly to an improved hold-down device for the bar connected to the lower end of a sheet of screen material.

It is a main object of the present invention to provide a frameless window screen construction having a simple and inexpensive bar hold-down device adapted to be mounted on a casement frame and operable to hold down a screen bar to place the screen under tension.

A more particular object of the present invention is to provide a frameless widow screen construction including a sheet of resilient screen material, a bar connected to one end of the screen, and a screen tensioning roller having means for mounting the same above and in hold-down engagement at its lower inner side with the bar, with its axis offset outwardly of the plane of the screen, whereby the bar may be released by forcing it outwardly from under the roller, and then subsequently relatched by forcing it inwardly under the roller.

A further object of the present invention is to provide an arrangement as described immediately above wherein there is a bar actuating device adapted to be mounted adjacent the bar, operable when operated in one direction to force the bar inwardly under the roller whereby the bar is releasably latched in a held-down position, and operable when operated in the opposite direction to force the bar outwardly from under the roller to release the same.

Various other objects of the present invention will be apparent from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a front elevational view of a casement frame having a frameless window screen construction embodying the concepts of the present invention mounted thereon.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional view taken along line 2-2 of Fig. 1 showing the bar latched in place.

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2, but showing the bar in the process of being unlatched.

Referring to the accompanying drawings wherein similar reference characters designate similar parts throughout, there is disclosed a casement window frame 9 of conventional construction having a window opening 11 defined by a rectangular face portion 13. Mounted on face 13 by a top screen edge holding assembly 15 and a bottom screen edge holding assembly 17 is a sheet of resilient screen material 19 laterally overlapping the edges of face 13 defining the sides of opening 11. The top and bottom screen edge holding assemblies complete the closure of opening 11.

Top screen edge holding assembly 15 includes a top screen holding bar 21 supported by brackets 23 adjustably secured by screws 25 to face 13.

Bottom screen edge holding assembly 17 includes a bottom screen edge holding bar 25 of conventional construction, the particular bar shown having a doubled portion of the lower end of the screen fitting thereinto as shown whereby the bar and screen are connected.

However, any conventional bar may be employed instead of the particular bar shown.

For releasably holding bar 25 down and placing screen material 19 under tension, there is provided a pair of laterally spaced bar hold-down devices 27 of identical construction, said devices being mounted on face 13 in a manner to be presently described.

Each hold-down device includes a box-like case or housing 29 provided with feet 33 at the four lefthand corners thereof as the parts are depicted in Fig. 2, said housing being secured to face 13 by a single screw 35 slidably received through the front wall of the housing and threadedly received by face 13. When screw 35 is properly tightened in place, feet 31 are forced into firm engagement with face 13 and hence function to prevent turning of the housing relative to said face.

Rotatably supported within each housing 29 by a roll pin shaft 37 is a roller 39 protruding through the open bottom of said housing, disposed in engagement at its lower inner side with the top of bar 25 and having its axis of rotation horizontally disposed and offset outwardly of the plane of screen 19, see Fig. 2. The length of the screen, the location of the rollers, and the adjustment of brackets 23 are such that the screen is properly tensioned when the parts are disposed in the position shown in Fig. 2. The screen tension functions to hold the bar releasably latched under the rollers in the condition shown in Fig. 2. The bar may be released by forcing it outwardly under rollers 39, the screen being briefly further tensioned as the bar passes directly under the rollers. To again releasably latch the bar, it is forced inwardly beneath rollers 39, the screen being tensioned as the bar passes directly under the rollers, after which there is a partial release only of the screen tension as the bar comes to rest against face 13 with the top of said bar in engagement with the lower inner sides of rollers 39.

For actuating bar 25, there is provided for each roller a bar actuator device in the form of a lever 41. Lever 41 is bifurcated at its upper or inner end to provide side arms 43 pivoted on roll pin shaft 37. The space between arms 43 accommodates housing 29 when a lever is pivoted counterclockwise from the position shown in Fig. 2 to the dotted line position shown in Fig. 3. Formed integrally with arms 43 is a handle 45 by which the lever may be operated.

The upper or inner extremities of arms 43 have shoulders 47 formed thereon operable when the lever is swung counterclockwise from the position shown in Fig. 2 to the position shown in Fig. 3 to engage the top of bar 25 and force the bar outwardly beneath the associated roller. When it is desired to latch bar 25 in place, the bar is positioned behind the levers (if the bar is not already so disposed) and the levers swung clockwise, whereupon arms 43 engage bar 25 forcing it inwardly under rollers 39 to the Fig. 2 position.

By the present invention a simple and inexpensive frameless window screen construction has been provided including a pair of rollers adapted to be mounted on the face of a casement frame and under which a bar connected to a screen sheet can be forced to releasably latch the bar in place to tension the screen sheet. Also included in the arrangement is a pair of levers operable when operated in one direction for forcing the bar inwardly under the rollers to effect a releasable latching of the bar, and operable when operated in the opposite direction to force the bar outwardly from under the rollers to release the bar. Although the frarneless window frame construction of the present invention is ideally suited for use in conjunction with a casement window frame, the invention is not intended to be limited to such use.

An important feature of the present invention is the existence of rolling engagement between the bar latching members (the rollers) and the bar as the bar is latched in place or released. This not only prevents badly galling the bar, but also enables the latching and releasing operations to be readily effected by overcoming only the force necessary to tension the screen, and not by overcoming in addition the high frictional force that Would exist if the bar latching members were fixed lugs or cams.

While I have shown the preferred form of my invention, it is to be understood that various changes may be made in its construction by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention as defined in the accompanying appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A hold-down device for a frameless window screen comprising: a bar connected to one end of the screen material; a screen tensioning roller adapted to be mounted above and in hold-down engagement at its lower inner side with the bar, with its axis oifset outwardly of 20 the plane of the screen material whereby the bar may be released by forcing it outwardly from under the roller or again releasably latched by forcing it inwardly under the roller; and a bar actuating device adapted to be mounted adjacent the bar and operable to force said bar inwardly under the roller.

2. A hold-down device for a frameless window screen comprising: a bar connected to one end of the screen material; a screen tensioning roller adapted to be mounted above and in hold-down engagement at its lower inner side with the bar, with its axis offset outwardly of the plane of the screen material, whereby the bar may be released by forcing it outwardly from under the roller or again releasably latched by forcing it inwardly under the roller; and a bar actuating device adapted to be mounted adjacent the bar and operable in one direction to force the bar inwardly under the roller, and operable when operated in the opposite direction to force said bar outwardly from under the roller, said bar actuating device comprising a lever mounted for pivotal movement about the aXis of rotation of the roller and having one portion for engaging the outer face of the bar for forcing the bar inwardly under the roller and another portion for engaging the top of the bar for forcing said bar outwardly from under the roller.

3. A hold-down device for a frameless window screen comprising: a bar parallel to and connected to one end of the screen material and extending laterally beyond said end in both directions, a pair of stub shafts rigidly mounted one adjacent the lower end of each of the side sections of said window frame, the axes of said shafts being coincident and offset outwardly of the plane of the screen material, a pair of screen tensioning rollers rotatably mounted one on each of said shafts, whereby the bar may be released by forcing it outwardly from under the rollers or again releasably latched by forcing it inwardly under the rollers.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

